New Mexico becomes first state to elect all women of colour to House delegation in Washington DC
Three women of colour will represent New Mexico in the House of Representatives - the first time a state has sent a delegation composed like that
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Your support makes all the difference.New Mexico has become the first state to send all women of colour to the US House.
The state, home to almost 2.1 million people, is divided into three congressional districts.
In the state's first congressional district, Deb Haaland, one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress, is expected to defeat her Republican challenger, Michelle Garcia Holmes.
Haaland, a Democrat, was first elected to Congress in 2016.
Yvette Herrell, a Republican and a registered member of the Cherokee Nation, is the projected winner for New Mexico's second congressional district, defeating the Democratic incumbent Xochitl Torres Small.
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And in New Mexico’s third congressional district, Teresa Leger Fernandez, who is Hispanic, is projected to be the first woman to represent northern New Mexico in Congress.
She is expected to defeat Republican Alexis Martinez Johnson.
Regardless of the turnout, any result would have ended in a historic congressional delegation for the state. All six candidates are women of colour.
New Mexico used to be considered reliably Republican — the state went red in every presidential election from 1968 to 1988 — but has chosen Democrats each cycle following, except 2004, starting with Bill Clinton’s first presidential victory in 1992.
On Tuesday night the state voted for Joe Biden.
The state elected as their senator Ben Ray Lujan, replacing the retiring Tom Udell.
Mr Lujan will be just the fifth current Latino senator, joining Democrats Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida.
Mr Lujan represents the state with the highest proportion of Latino voters, at about 40 per cent.
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